Apollo

Hi, can anyone comment on the Audio 10 standard system vs the Comand and bose with changer on the sedan/saloon. Is there a significant difference in sound quality?

Buellwinkle

Since my dealer offers free car washes and it takes at least a 1/2 hour, I've listened to every MB radio on the showroom for a while. To me, the command and cassette radio sound the same, the Bose option adds a little more bass and gives you options on how you want your sound, kinda a like a preset equalizer. Now if you remember Spinal Tap this would ring a bell. Picture the bass and treble controls on your radio going from 1-10 and you keep it at 10 all them time because that's as good as it gets. The Audio 10 gives you that extra you need because it goes to 11. So if you like more bass than the US spec radios (including Bose) the Audio 10 will sound much better. It's probably the best bang for the buck in not only giving you an indash CD but in sound quality.


The only hassle is it takes about a month to go through the ebay.de method and costs about $250-300, give or take depending on bids and exchange rates that day. Autoclass.net wants $600 from what I hear for a brand new one.

Apollo

I will be really disappointed after spending so much extra for comand, bose and changer if it is not better than the audio 10. The audio 10 was a standard fit here in the UK and I have gone for the upgrade.

Buellwinkle

Sorry, didn't realise you would already have the Audio 10. The Audio 10 by Becker sounds better than the standard Alpine Audio 30 cassette and Comand units they employ in the US. I believe the Audio 30 APS units you get are completely different. If you don't like the Audio 10 imagine how many of us feel about the much much worse Audio 30, not worthy of a Hyundai.

Apollo

I did like the audio 10 but I really wanted navigation and the integrated mobile phone under the armrest through the comand screen. I assumed that the Bose upgrade with 10 speakers would be even better, I should have listened to it first really but the dealer did not have one to try. I took a risk and I hope it pays off. The upgrade to comand,bose and changer has cost me an extra £2570/$3500 and I will be expecting a lot for this when I get my new car in August.

JAM

How about this.....

Let's assume a Bose system, now how does the audio quality compare between:

1. The stock head unit?
2. Audio 10
3. Command?

I have the Bose audio and it is terrible, I hear that the audio improves by going to the Audio 10, but what about going from the standard head unit to Command?

Any improvement by going from the standard head unit to Command?

Also, are the useless enhanced audio modes (ambient, driver, speech) available on the Audio 10? I know that they are available on the stock head unit and the Command system.

Lynn

My COMAND with Bose sounds better than the standard Alpine unit with Bose.

peet

Depends on what you listen to. BTW it is important to make a distinction between the coupe and the sedan. On my coupe the bose $ucked so bad I started a campaign for bose to recall it - but that got nowhere.

On the sedan on the other hand, it sounds pretty decent. I still hear some bass distortion at high volume on high bass tracks.

Now then, the sedan decent bose, with cassette or radio sounds aweful. The Cd changer feed or the hack to input aux through the cassette board sounds really good.

Good luck.

Peet

JAM

Well, slight diagreement, in that I have a sedan with Bose and it is terrible, regardless of the input.... I'll go to either Command or Audio 10, but I want to go with the one that will sound best with the rest of my Bose infrastructure.... Any ideas?

AMG BRED

if i had a chance to go back and redo things, i would have gone with the base stock radio and saved money instead of upgrading to comand.. then use the saved money later on, on a aftermarket Navigation system that's DVD based and let's you play DVDs.

http://ecominet2.alpine-usa.com/pls/...y=50&p_main=10

tsberkey

They are??? I have the stock head unit on a 2003 coupe, and they are definitely not there. I just went out and double-checked it. According to the manual, it is optional, but I sure don't know what option it would be. By the sounds of it, I'm not missing anything, eh?

Tim

Kal Rubinson

OK but I'd go with a SD or CF navigation unit. Never understood why one would want to play a DVD in a car (except to entertain kids).

Lynn

You have to have a Bose for those setting to show up on the headunit.

tsberkey

So, Lynn, you probably read my plea from the other day. What should I do for my stereo? I have a daughter starting college in two weeks, my wife is working on her master's, and my 15-year-old son eats a box of cereal a day, which is the most expensive of the three! Obviously, money IS a factor. Should I start with an amp, and then change speakers when money is available, or what?

Tim

PS- Next time, I should go to Lynn.com!

Lynn

Tim, I suggest a second job!!!

There are people who know far more about car audio than I do. But the first thing to consider is the kind of music you listen to. The next thing to do is to talk to someone at a good local car audio shop.

Buellwinkle

Getting an AMP and changing speakers on the factory Alpine HU is about as useful as putting lipstick on a pig. I've tried the speaker route 2 years ago, one of the first, only to find out that Polk aftermarket speakers sound mucho worse than the factory speakers. The factory speakers on the coupe are unique, all 6 perform different functions, you don't really have the fade front to back like on other cars, so when you fade you get a mess. For example, change the midrange speakers in the back of the door with full range speakers and it will sound worse because the HU only puts out certain frequencies to each speaker. Put an amp on it and it will only make it sound louder and worse because a) the frequency response of the different channels is fixed, you'll never get full range out of the rear speakers, b) you'll be going through line level converters that introduce new distortion.

So now that I saved you about $900, lets talk about what does work. The least expensive thing you can do to make the radio sound a lot better is the MB Audio 10 CD. Made by Becker, sounds good, has it's quirks but I love this radio. You can find nice clean used ones from europe from MBenzNL or Ebay.de for about $250, new from Autoclass.net for $650. The next least expensive thing is to change the HU but be prepared to spend about $300 minimum for an HU, about another $100-$150 to get it installed with faceplate and wiring harness. You will lose the steering wheel controls unless you go with Alpine that sells an adapter for about another $150. This would be the basis to add that amp and speakers for about another $900+ to round out the system, maybe a sub for a few hundred more.

What I would do if I were you is find someone on the forum that has what you may be looking for and listen to it. You don't want to shell out $400-500 for a new HU only to not sound like you expected.

tsberkey

That's my problem-- I've talked to at least five, and they all say something different. I simply want to turn it up louder than it goes right now. I don't want heavy bass-- I despise that. I love rock, jazz, blues, etc. I have STFF, RTFM, BMHAAW ( ), etc. I can't seem to find a simple answer. All I get is single 20-somethings with unlimited wallets, who won't spend less than $1k for their upgrades! I love my car. The stereo needs improvement, but I am unwilling to part with anywhere near that much at this point in my life. Maybe I should just resign myself to the limitations of both the stereo AND my wallet!

Anyway, thanks for all your help in ALL areas of the forums.

Tim

PS--I don't even have a FIRST job. I'm a teacher. :p

tsberkey

Thanks, Buell. This is exactly the kind of info I've been looking for for three months. Your last paragraph sums up exactly how I feel. I would be willing to buy an Audio 10, and maybe even try to install it myself using the picture-by-picture thread from a few months ago, but I know of no one in my area who already has one. I don't live in an area that is heavily populated with MB's, especially coupes. While I love having a car that draws looks because there are so few, it's a pain when trying to get info from other drivers when there aren't any. (I was just in Long Beach two weeks ago-- I should have driven down!)

So let's assume I get an Alpine. Are the stock speakers going to handle the outputs of this deck OK, or would I need to replace them at this time?

Thanks for your reply.

Tim

Buellwinkle

If you have the Bose setup, no, but if you have the standard HU you can use those speakers with any HU and they are actually good sounding speakers. Even though the Audio 10 has a lot less advertised power than the factory cassette radio, it sounds louder and fuller. If you do replace them, the larger ones are 6 1/2" and require spacers to make it fit properly. I wouldn't change them unless you are unhappy with them after you changed HU's. Aftermarket stereos do give more options with line out for amps and line in for MP3 players, Satelite tuners, CD changers.

tsberkey

No, I don't have Bose. I guess it's a trade-off either way. If I go with a non-MB, I lose stock look and steering controls. If I go with Audio 10, I go in blind, unless I can get lucky and find one in Michigan, or nearby Indiana.

Thanks again for your help, Buell. I truly appreciate it.

Tim

avlis

I have an Audio 10 for sale and ready to ship in the original box from NH. I used it for a couple months and is still in perfect working order.

JAM

So what you made rollboack to your previous configuration?

Zoid

Hi Apollo,
My dealer does not offer COMMAND and phone,our cars (RHD) are similar to UK specs.I have a MY 02 Coupe, and I really like to have an intergrated phone.It is not even prewired for phone.
Can you help me to find out from what are the parts that is need to put in an intergrated Nokia 6310i phone. My dealer is not helping.
Thanks

Guest0001

i cant even listen to Rock in my C320 because it sounds sooo horible

Rap is actually pretty good but it can be better

electronic music works good too.


if you just listen to soft music and classic music and dont turn on your radio that loud, then the bose is a good fit you.

i, on the other hand need a new system in my car but i cant afford it right now the sound quality on the bose is pretty bad too

tsberkey

Not saying that I am going to do this, but if I wanted to, is it possible for the dealer to add on Bose (removing the stock system in the process)? Or, must it be done at the factory?

Tim